Running board wardrobe trunk



March 31, 1931.

J. LACHER RUNNING BOARD WARDROBE TRUNK Filed Jan. 30, 1929 IN VEN TOR. Jacob L ac/ver fim BY Z ATT NEYS.

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 PATEN FFE CE JACOB LACI-IER, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK RUNNING BOARD WARDROBE TRUNK Application filed. January 30, 1929. Serial No. 336,128.

This invention is a wardrobe trunk constructed to be detachably associated with the running board of an automobile. Suitcases and similar carrying devices have heretofore been carried and detachably secured to automobile running boards, but never before has there been associated with the running board a wardrobe trunk wherein articles of apparel may be carried in distended, hung up condition in a manner to preclude wrinkling. The present invention provides for such transportation of articles and also involves a novel wardrobe trunk construction, as well as novel means for detachably associating the trunk with the running board.

It is the common practice in the manufacture of pleasure cars to provide the body of the car at the sides thereof with an upward and outward bulge which seriously interferes with the placement of a conventional wardrobe trunk on the running board. If an attempt is made to carry such a trunk, there is such an appreciable overhang and tilting of the trunk as to render passage along the '25 road dangerous to the drivers of all vehicles thereon.

The present invention, however, provides a. wardrobe trunk so constructed that it will substantially conform to the lateral face of the car body, whereby the lower portion or bottom of the trunk may be of substantially the full width of the running board, while the upper portion of the trunk is of material less depth so as to provide for the carrying of the trunk without any overhang whatsoever, without any tilting of the trunk and with, nevertheless, a. maximum carrying area within the trunk. 7

Aside from the novel shaping of the trunk, as stated, the invention embodies the employment of novel and eflicient means for detachably securing the trunk in position on the running board. In order for such means,

to be practical, I have found that it is essential to make the structure as simple and economical to manufacture as possible. Devices for securing suitcases and the like to a running board have heretofore necessitated the employment of cumbersome and expensive structures and in one or two instances of trunk which I am aware, the container has been provided with a false bottom forming in the bottom thereof a chambered receptacle into which the clamping devices associated with the container are adapted to be folded when the container is removed from the running board. This is not only an expensive construction, but materially diminishes the otherwise normal area of the interior of the container so as to minimize the number of articles that can be carried therein. v

The present invention, in contradistinction, provides an unusually simple clamping means which may be readily secured to and removed from the trunk, so that when the trunk is to be mounted on the running board, the clamping devices may be readily slipped into place without actual attachment in order to secure the trunk to the running board and at the same time to preclude the removal of the trunk without removing the clamping devices. In other words, while there is no positive fastening means between the clamping devices and the trunk, the arrangement is such that it is impossible to remove the without removing the clamping devices. The means for holding the clamping devices in place, moreover, are so constructed that, when the clamping devices are removed, these means function as supporting feet for the trunk to maintain the same in solid upstanding position and to support not only the body of the trunk, but the hinged cover with which such trunk is provided.

Thus when the trunk is opened, when re- I moved from the car, there is no tendency of the same to tilt by virtue of the weight of the cover, but, in contradistinction, the trunk will stand even more steady when opened than it will when closed and this by virtue of the very devices which maintain the clamps in cooperative relation with the trunk when in place on the running board.

Another important feature of the invention is the formation of the clamping devices in such a Way that a key is required to release the trunk from the car, although the actual releasing f the trunk may be accomplished by hand after the insertion of the proper key. This construction eflectually safeguards the trunk and its contents against removal by unauthorized persons.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a car with the trunk embodying the present invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the trunk and its attaching devices with the running board in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4:4; of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an underneath perspective view showing the bottom of the trunk.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a running board of a pleasure car and 2 indicates generally the wardrobe trunk positioned on said running board. The trunk comprises a body 3 and a cover 4:, which is hinged to the body along one of the vertical edges of the latter. The body and cover are substantially as deep at the bottom as the width of the running board. It will be noted, however, that the back of the body is sloped in an upward and forward direction as indicated at 5 to substantially conform to the contour of the body of the car, whereby the top of the trunk is of somewhat less depth than it is at its bottom.

The top of the trunk is provided with a handle 6 so that it may he readily lifted on to and off of the running board. To the under side of the trunk are permanently secured four substantially U-shaped keepers, two of which are designated 7 and 2 of which are designated '!a. The keepers 7 are in alinemcnt and the keepers 7a are similarly disposed. One of the keepers 7 and one of the keepers 7a are secured to the body 3, while the remainingkeepers are secured to the bottom of the cover Two clamping frames 8 and 8a are provided for cooperation with these keepers. Both of these clamping frames and their associated devices are identical so that a description of one will sufiice for both.

Thus the frame 8 is substantially U-shaped with the upper leg 9 somewhat longer than the lower eg 10, the leg 9 being in length substantially equal to the width of the running board. The frame 8 is made of strip stock of such cross section as to be readily passed through the keeper 7 and the hook shaped ends comprising the parts 11 and 10 are adapted to extend about and under the outer edge of the running board as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Near the free end of the part 10 there is a tapped hole through which works a clamping screw 12. The screw is threaded for an appreciable portion of its length and is provided with a head 13 adjacent which no threading need be provided. About the unthreaded portion of the screw is a normally loose collar 1 which is preferably formed with radially extending finger pieces 15 which may be grasped to permit rotation of the collar. The collar is, however, provided with a key slot 16 and the unthreaded portion of the screw is also provided with a cooperating key slot 17. hen these slots are in registration a suitable key, indicated at 18, is adapted to be introduced into them,

so as to lock the collar to the screw in order to enable the rotation of the screw through turning of the collar. When the key is removed. however, the parts are disconnected so that rotation of the collar will not affect the position of the screw. One or both of the key slots 16 and 17 are preferably provided with wards or are otherwise peculiarly shaped to preclude entrance of other than the appropriate key. It thus follows that in order to clamp the frame 8 to the car or to remove it from the car, it is necessary to have the proper key and the trunk cannot therefore be removed from the car by an unauthorized person. In order to preclude the operation of the screw by a wrench or pliers, a loose sleeve 19 is preferably provided. This sleeve may be formed separate from or integral with the collar as may be desired, but in any event. there is suiiicient clearance between the end of the sleeve and the part 10 of the frame to permit clamping of the frame in place and nevertheless to provide insufficient clearance at this point for the introduction of a wrench or plier to grasp and operate the screw. In practice, the key may be introduced and utilized purely to lock the collar and screw in order that the screw may be rotated by grasping the finger pieces 15, although, if desired, the key may be made rugged enough to act as wrench in order to give greater leverage.

I wish to call particular attention to the fact as appears from Figures 2 and 5 that when the frames are clam ed on the car, the

parts 9 extending loosely throughthe keepers with a fairly good fit, but without actual attachment to the keepers or to any other part of the trunk. Furthermore, it should be noted that two of the keepers are on the cover of the trunk.

With this arrangement, it is apparent that the trunk is secured to the running board without any actual permanent attachment to the clamp frames and furthermore that the cover for the trunk cannot be opened even though it is unlocked unless the clamps are removed. This effectually precludes thievery of the articles contained in the trunk and renders the device thoroughly safeguarded by the key which must be utilized to release the clamps.

lVith the arrangement described, the struc ture is unusually simple and economical to manufacture. It does not in anywise encumber the interior of the wardrobe trunk and has the further advantage that when the trunk is removed, the clamping frames may be easily slipped out of the keepers to permit the keepers to function as feet for the trunk. hen the trunk is carried about off the car, it is relieved of the weight of the clamping devices and will rest squarely upon any flat surface without any tendency to tilt. When not in use on the car, it may be utilized in the house or in hotel rooms in the same manner as a conventional wardrobe trunk and yet is thoroughly adapted for car travel. Its height is suficient to permit of the hanging of garments therein and yet it is not too high to allow the driver to properly see or to put his arm out of the window for signalling or otherwise. i

The interior of the trunk is provided with suitable hanger slides 20 indicated in Figure 2 and is otherwise equipped to hold shoes, collars, and other small articles of wearing apparel.

The device is of unusual simplicity and fulfills a long felt want among the traveling public. It is compact, relatively light and thoroughly efiicient for its intended purposes. It does not unduly encumber a car and gives maximum storage space with minimum dimension and without any overhang whatever.

The trunk of this invention can be mounted on either the right or left hand side of the car. Its attachment to the car is not intended in any sense to be a permanent attachment, it being primarily a wardrobe trunk for trip use and adapted to be used in the home or in hotels between trips or during periods between successive stages of the same trip and may be attached to any car or to a taxicab as the case may be and is so constructed that it may be attached to practically any part of the running board on either side of the car, so that it is entirely possible to carry two or more of these trunks on the same car.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wardrobe trunk adapted for upstanding relation on the running board of a car and comprising a trunk body and a suitable cover, said trunk being provided on the under side of its body and cover with keepers serving as feet for the trunk and provided with openings through which clamping frames may be passed, clamping frames adapted to straddle the outer edge of the running board and each of which embodies a bolt to extend through the openings in certain keepers on both the trunk body and cover to lock the cover against opening, and a threaded clamping post threaded through that portion of each clamping frame which underlies the running board, each of the posts being adapted for clamping engagement with the running board, and an operating collar embracing each post and normally free for rotation with respect thereto, each of said collars and the correspondingpost being provided with cooperating key slots into which an appropriate key may be inserted to lock the collar to the posts, whereby opening of the cover and the removal of the trunk are both dependent upon the employment of the key to release said clamping posts.

2. An automobile running board wardrobe trunk mounting comprising a U-shaped clamping frame adapted to straddle the outer edge of the running board with one leg of the frame above and the other below the running board, a threaded clamping post extending through the lower leg of the frame to engage with and clamp against the under side of a running board to detachably mount an associated trunk on the running board, and an operating collar normally free to rotate idly on the post, said collar and post provided with key slots adapted to register, and a correspondingly shaped key adapted to be inserted into said slots to lock the collar to the post for the purpose of rotating the post through rotation of the collar.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

' J ACOB LAGHER. 

